SPIN CONTROL? SPOT ON! (SLIDESHOW)

Disc golfers send 'em soaring on target at Devens tourney

Casey White, 18, of Shirley, takes aim during the D54 at Devens tournament Sunday. Dozens of disc golfers descended on the former military base. SUN / DAVID H. BROW

DEVENS -- They came out in droves.

From near and far, Central Massachusetts and the outer reaches of New England. With them came flying discs, filling the woods of Devens.

And their numbers keep growing.

Dozens of disc golfers -- men and women, pros and amateurs -- descended on the former military installation Sunday to take part in the D54 at Devens tournament on three 18-hole courses, having fun with a chance to take home some prize money.

"For a day like this and to ask people to play 54 holes in one day, we've had a pretty good turnout," said Bill Bertera of Shirley, one of the tournament's organizers. "It's an easy sport to get into and these courses provide a nice challenge. More and more people are coming out to give this a try every day.

Tyler Blanchet, 24, of Connecticut eyes his target.

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Starting with the Hill and the General courses directly behind the Hawk's Nest Disc Golf shop in the morning, disc golfers played 36 holes before taking a lunch break and heading to the Commander for the final 18 of the day.

The sport runs on basically the same idea as traditional golf, except instead of driving a ball with a club, disc golfers throw plastic discs from tee boxes toward elevated baskets adorned with chains to catch the disc as a hole of sorts. There are different sizes and weights for different discs, all serving a purpose, from drivers to mid-range ones to putters for close shots.

And just like the club-and-balls version of the game it emulates, disc golfs aren't simply just chucking a plastic plate into the woods and hoping for the best.

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There are the pre-shot routines just like in golf -- a shift of weight here, a practice delivery there -- and competitors kneeling and bending in an effort to guide their discs past obstructions.

"It's a pretty easy sport to get into," said 27-year-old Shane Wyatt of Norwood. "It doesn't take the years of frustration that regular golf does in order to get good. There are still people that are better than others, but it doesn't take nearly as much practice to improve a bit.

Paul Adorno, 36, of Connecticut, lets a disc fly during the D54 at Devens tournament Sunday. The action took place on three 18-hole courses at the former military installation. SUN / DAVID H. BROW

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Shirley's Casey White has played the game for a handful of years and is what Wyatt calls "the kids who have gotten really good, really fast." Playing on his home courses, White says he's thrilled to see the growth of the sport in the last couple years.

"I'm out here a lot and you see more and more people playing the courses because it's easy to get into and it's free to play here," White said before noting he gave up other sports -- including golf -- in high school to focus on disc golf. "It's fun. It's nice to get out and you see courses in a lot of places now."

Players can make money in tournaments across the country, which is simply a bonus for those playing a game they love, White said.

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